Unite for good governance, stand against division, Atiku advises Nigerians in New Year message

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has advised Nigerians to unite for good governance in 2025.

In a New Year message released on Tuesday, Abubakar asked Nigerians to be vigilant and closely monitor the actions of political leaders to hold them accountable.

He said 2025 presents an opportunity to reshape and redefine the national dialogue and for citizens to actively participate in safeguarding the nation’s democracy.

Abubakar asked Nigerians to remain resolute in ensuring that political leaders across party lines are “held accountable and that no one wields unchecked power that could lead to the erosion of liberties and further exploitation of public office”.

The former vice-president said “2024 provided a sobering glimpse into the pressing need for governmental accountability,” noting that Nigerians sailed through their “arduous trials by God’s grace”.

“The trials of the past year have only served to fortify our faith. Our unshakable belief in divine protection has been our guiding light, and it is this same spirit of unwavering faith that will continue to propel us forward in the coming year,” he said.

“We must ensure that the power entrusted to those in leadership is never abused and that the claws of an overreaching government are firmly restrained.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 elections asked Nigerians to “stand ever watchful” in the New Year by guarding against any encroachment on the public good and the fundamental rights of the people.

Abubakar expressed optimism that the New Year will “bring a fresh dawn, sweeping away the many years of national hardships that have hindered the country’s growth”.

He also prayed for the “revitalisation of the national economy so that Nigerians may breathe freely once more, liberated from the suffocating grip of economic hardship”.

Abubakar said Nigerians “must unite in the pursuit of good governance, standing resolute against any efforts by the ruling elite to divide the nation along religious and ethnic lines”.